Smithsonian Magazine Free Museum Day. Every year Smithsonian Magazine offers free general admission-for-two to hundreds of participating museums across the United States. This year is a bust for Chicago museums, as in none are participating, probably due to Covid, so I’ve included Wisconsin and Indiana options. If you’ll be out-of-town somewhere you may want to check that state.
How to get free tickets
To take advantage of this offer you need to fill out the form on the Smithsonian website here and then download your free ticket valid for two people. Some museums will accept the ticket from your smart phone. Check the ticket for details. Tickets will be available for the public to download beginning August 18, 2021.
The Museum Day ticket is good for two people per household, per address. Limit one ticket per household. If you’re planning on going as a group, consider registering for additional admit-two tickets through friends and family.
Arrive early, because the museums may limit the number of guests allowed in at one time.
Chicago Free Museum Days here.
Smithsonian Magazine Free Museum Day Sept. 18
All 2021 participating museums:
Dillon Home Museum
Sterling, IL
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (CST)
Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art
Oak Brook, IL
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (CST)
Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum and Gardens
Rockford, IL
Hours: 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (CST)
Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum
Auburn, IN
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (EST)
General Lew Wallace Study & Museum
Crawfordsville, IN
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (EST)
Studebaker National Museum
South Bend, IN
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (EST)
Castlerock Museum
Alma, WI
Hours: 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (CST)
Civil War Museum
Kenosha, WI
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (CST)
Dinosaur Discovery Museum
Kenosha, WI
Hours: 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (CST)
Haggerty Museum of Art, Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (CST)
Kenosha Public Museum
Kenosha, WI
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (CST)
Chicago
Adler Planetarium
Chicago, IL
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (CST)
Smithsonian Affiliate Museum
American Writers Museum
Chicago, IL
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (CST)
Charnley-Persky House Museum
Chicago, IL
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (CST)
DuSable Museum of African American History
Chicago, IL
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (CST)
Smithsonian Affiliate Museum
Glessner House
Chicago, IL
Hours: 11:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (CST)
Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art
Chicago, IL
Hours: 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (CST)
National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum
Chicago , IL
Hours: 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (EST)
National Hellenic Museum
Chicago, IL
Hours: 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (EST)
National Museum of the American Sailor
Great Lakes, IL
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (CST)
Free Everyday
Smart Museum of Art
Chicago, IL
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (CST)
Free Everyday
Swedish American Museum Association of Chicago
Chicago, IL
Hours: 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (CST)
The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Chicago, IL
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (CST)
Suburbs
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
Springfield, IL
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (CST)
Aurora Regional Fire Museum
Aurora, IL
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (CST)
Barrington History Museum
Barrington, IL
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (CST)
C.H. Moore Homestead DeWitt County Museum
Clinton, IL
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (CST)
DuPage County Historical Museum
Wheaton, IL
Hours: 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (EST)
Free Everyday
Galena Jo-Daviess County Historical Society
Galena , IL
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (CST)
Geneva History Museum
Geneva, IL
Hours: 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (CST)
Hoosier Grove Museum
Streamwood, IL
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (CST)
Free Everyday
Illinois State Museum
Springfield, IL
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (CST)
Lincoln Heritage Museum
Lincoln, IL
Hours: 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (CST)
Mayslake Peabody Estate
Oak Brook, IL
Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (CST)
Peoria Riverfront Museum
Peoria, IL
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (CST)
Smithsonian Affiliate Museum
Rock Island Arsenal Museum
Rock Island , IL
Hours: 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (CST)
Free Everyday
SciTech Hands on Museum
Aurora, IL
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (CST)
Stacy’s Tavern Museum
Glen Ellyn, IL
Hours: 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. (CST)
The Museums at Lisle Station Park
Lisle, IL
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (CST)
Free Everyday
William M. Staerkel Planetarium
Champaign, IL
Hours: 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. (CST)
Willowbrook Wildlife Center
Glen Ellyn, IL
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (CST)
